2011 Official Thread + Signing news

[stormfan2010]

So much fighting for positions can only be a good thing for the club , i think we have more than enough depth now , bring on 2011 !

joel...

[Fizer]

Some junior info.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona played for Wellington u/15s in the NZ comp and is a prop/second rower was signed before the Wellington camp.
Paul Faga played for heartland u'15s in NZ comp playing at centre. second row and Prop during the competition, he was one of 7 chosen at the Wellington camp.

Easter can't roll around fast enough for New Plymouth's Paul Faga.

The talented 15-year-old rugby league player has nailed a spot in a week-long training camp with the Melbourne Storm.Faga, who has just finished year 10 at Spotswood College, was one of seven Taranaki age-group players who trialled with 100 others in Wellington at the weekend."Pretty cool," was his reaction when asked about the opportunity to train with the club in Australia."It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ... I've never been to Australia."

He's a big lad, weighing in at 100kg. But he's also shy when it comes to dealing with the media and had some family support at the interview – mum Lavenia and sisters Elizabeth, 20, and Augustine, 2.The other family members are dad Joe, Anthony, 18, Joachim, 13, Neme, 8, and Joel, 7.The Faga family moved to New Plymouth five years ago from Rotuma.Where?"No-one has heard of it. It's an island off Fiji, so just say Fiji."

Faga said he had played rugby from the day he started school on Rotuma."I played rugby and rugby league for two years when we first arrived here, but now only play rugby league," he said."I love league ... the big hits, running with the ball and meeting people."League is different, it's faster and more open than rugby."His training regime involves lifting weights at home rather than the gym and a bit of volleyball, a sport he's played for the past two years."I do a little, not often, just when I feel like it," he said."They're big ones [the weights], 50kg."Any other training like running?"Not really. I don't go running, it doesn't appeal."

Asked about the trial in Wellington, Faga said it had been a good experience."The opposition was pretty big, but I don't mind tackling big guys."His aim at the trial was to try to impress.And Coachforce Taranaki rugby league officer Alan Jackson said Faga did just that."In my mind, Paul was the best player in the under-15 trial," Jackson said. "He took a lot from the weekend. He did the little things well. He was very quick at play the ball, scored two good tries and to dent the line like he did was the sign of a very good player."Jackson said he had watched Faga develop as a player over the past couple of years."To be fair, that was some of the best football I've seen him play. He really stepped up. For a 15-year-old, he's a big lad. But in saying that, there were bigger guys at the trials."Jackson said the other six Taranaki players at the trial all performed well."They did very very. A good effort by all of them."

When it comes to goals in sport, Faga has just one – to play NRL."That would be good," said Faga who supports the Parramatta Eels in the Australian league. "I like watching them, just to see the hits."If Faga has his way, he could be a big hit himself.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-n ... with-Storm

[BIG JIM]

Very Experienced player is Quinny if he does not feature in 1st Team i think he will ask to be released.

[1999]

I cant see a spot for quinn personally. O'neill and duffie have those wing positions locked up IMO their 2010 form makes it almost impossible to drop either. Beau Champion will be the right centre, which means Neilsen, Stanley, Quinn, Maori, Neumann and Blair are in a fight for the last backline spot, and personally i think stanley may get the nod, i feel dane was really out of favour towards the end of 2010, being dropped and being shifted to the wing by sika AND lowrie. Even against the tigers bellyache moved O'Neill and Isa into the centres ahead of neilsen.

[Surandy]

I wonder if Bellamy will use Quinn off the bench. He can cover wing, centre and has played some back row for us in the past.

[storming]

imo quinn needs to get to 100kgs to get the bench spot! and when i went to skilled stadium to watch the storm, the ball was at the other end of the field and i thought inglis was finally having a dig and it turned out to be neilson, so give him some faith and i think he will surprise alot of poeple in 2011. and him getting moved to the wing makes more sense than moving sika to the wing.

[Scooter]

I cant see a spot for quinn personally. O'neill and duffie have those wing positions locked up IMO their 2010 form makes it almost impossible to drop either. Beau Champion will be the right centre, which means Neilsen, Stanley, Quinn, Maori, Neumann and Blair are in a fight for the last backline spot, and personally i think stanley may get the nod, i feel dane was really out of favour towards the end of 2010, being dropped and being shifted to the wing by sika AND lowrie. Even against the tigers bellyache moved O'Neill and Isa into the centres ahead of neilsen.

Danger only got moved to the wing because we were running out of outside backs and hence we had to play second rowers in the centres. Quinn, Duffie and O'Neill were all injured by that stage of the year.

[Michael :P]

Couple more names from the Wellington clinic that are now on the books. Of course none may end up here or one may be a future champion.

Joshua Weepu Robertson Wainuiomata Lions -14
Tui Oloapu Randwick Kingfishers -14
Elias Vole Wainuiomata Lions - 14
Junior Kirisome Porirua Vikings - 15
Brad Kuiti Upper Hutt Tigers -16
Raymond Lesoa Randwick Kingfishers - 16

[UKAWAJA]

Any idea of who bellyache is going to put in the final 17 ? hows chase stanley looking ??

[Michael :P]

Any idea of who bellyache is going to put in the final 17 ? hows chase stanley looking ??

chase looks a million dollars, unfortunately he was made in china

[Michael :P]

Article on James Desaxe

Sharks junior snapped up by Storm
BY GERARD LAWS
10 Jan, 2011 11:04 AM
Promising Moruya-Tuross Sharks junior James Desaxe has taken a big step forward in his rugby league career after signing a three-year deal with NRL club Melbourne Storm.
The 16-year-old will play under 18s SG Ball for Melbourne this season, with the hope of pushing into the Storm’s under 20s Toyota Cup side in the coming years.

The move looks to be a good one for Desaxe with the Storm’s SG Ball team having been very successful in recent years. They played in the grand final in 2009 before making the semi-finals last season.

Desaxe played halfback for the Moruya-Tuross under 16s side which won the Group 16 competition in 2010. He played a crucial role in the Sharks amazing come-from-behind win against Merimbula in the grand final which saw them score 18 points in the last 14 minutes to snatch victory.

Moruya-Tuross Sharks official Ron Ingram has witnessed Desaxe’s development as a junior player and he has high praise for the youngster.

“He’s a very exciting young

talent, has good eyes and great peripheral vision,” he said.

“One of his best assets is that he’s a really old-fashioned halfback and will do his share of the defensive work. He doesn’t hide out on the wing and he’s not scared to put a hit on blokes three times his size.”

Ingram said that Desaxe’s tireless work ethic is what sets him apart from other players his age.

“We have a very high opinion of him and as a club we couldn’t be prouder,” he said.

“Jimmy trains hard, works hard and is a really good club person. He’s refereed for us and has given back to the club in a number of ways.”

“You would be hard pressed to find someone more deserving. Hopefully he will go on to be the next NRL first-grader that Moruya has produced.”

The signing of Desaxe by the Storm comes at a time when a number of NRL clubs are looking to recruit players from the Group 16 area.

Ingram said that the attention from NRL scouts was great feedback for the Moruya-Tuross club.

“As a club we’ve got really exciting young footballers coming through and potentially four or five who are capable of doing what Jimmy has done,” he said.

“Group 16 in general is producing some wonderful footballers and now you have NRL clubs like Melbourne, St George and Canberra looking at players from this area.

“Before we were losing junior players to the Bay Tigers but now they’re staying in Group 16 with Moruya because they can see that there are some great opportunities there.”

http://www.batemansbaypost.com.au/news/ ... 43055.aspx

Hopefully wont be the last player from group 16 territory. Was having a holiday in Narooma and my little 11yo cousin is a phenom apparently....and amazing speed to go with it. His dads a eels fan but i loaded him and his little brother (who's mini-freak) up with storm gear.

[Michael :P]

Has Dane Chisholm left ?

Among the players set to be called upon for the off-season session are a mix of established first-graders, senior players and those on the cusp of or having already begun their representative careers. They include: Josh Dugan, Blake Ferguson, Jarrod Croker, Alan Tongue (Canberra), Josh Morris, Aiden Tolman (Canterbury), Kade Snowden (Cronulla), Kevin Gordon (Gold Coast), Akuila Uate (Newcastle), Tim Mannah (Parramatta), Lachlan Coote (Penrith), Jamie Soward, Matt Prior (St George Illawarra), Mitchell Aubusson (Sydney Roosters) Keith Galloway, Simon Dwyer, Tim Moltzen and Andrew Fifita (Wests Tigers).

A selection of leading NYC Toyota Cup players from last season have also been invited by Stuart including 2010 under-20s player of the year Tariq Sims (North Queensland), William Hopoate (Manly), Mitch Johnson (Melbourne), Dane Chisholm, Dylan Farrell (South Sydney) and Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters).

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... =text-only

[Ice]

If he has left they've given him an early release as he was signed until the end of this year.

[Bourbon Rat]

His management profile doesn't say anything about a release ?
http://www.lifearena.com.au/dchisholm.html

I'm guessing it was just a lazy journo who didn't proofread

A selection of leading NYC Toyota Cup players from last season have also been invited by Stuart including 2010 under-20s player of the year Tariq Sims (North Queensland), William Hopoate (Manly), Mitch Johnson (Melbourne), Dane Chisholm, Dylan Farrell (South Sydney) and Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters).

[Fizer]

Has Dane Chisholm left ?

Among the players set to be called upon for the off-season session are a mix of established first-graders, senior players and those on the cusp of or having already begun their representative careers. They include: Josh Dugan, Blake Ferguson, Jarrod Croker, Alan Tongue (Canberra), Josh Morris, Aiden Tolman (Canterbury), Kade Snowden (Cronulla), Kevin Gordon (Gold Coast), Akuila Uate (Newcastle), Tim Mannah (Parramatta), Lachlan Coote (Penrith), Jamie Soward, Matt Prior (St George Illawarra), Mitchell Aubusson (Sydney Roosters) Keith Galloway, Simon Dwyer, Tim Moltzen and Andrew Fifita (Wests Tigers).

A selection of leading NYC Toyota Cup players from last season have also been invited by Stuart including 2010 under-20s player of the year Tariq Sims (North Queensland), William Hopoate (Manly), Mitch Johnson (Melbourne), Dane Chisholm, Dylan Farrell (South Sydney) and Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters).

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... =text-only

No it's just a misprint.